The 8-minute rule is a guideline used in healthcare, particularly in physical and occupational therapy, to determine how treatment time should be billed to insurance providers. It states that for time-based procedures, a therapist must provide at least eight minutes of a service to bill for one unit. For example, if a session lasts between 8 and 22 minutes, it can be billed as one unit; longer sessions are divided into additional units based on time spent. This rule ensures accurate billing, prevents overcharging, and aligns reimbursement with the actual time and care given to patients during therapy sessions.